Utah Shakespeare Festival 2024

Marilyn and I drove to Cedar City to attend the Utah Shakespeare Festival Friday morning.  This is one of our favorite traditions and we look forward to it all year (we are already planning for next year).  We were there for three days and two nights and were able to see four shows.

Our first show on Friday was The 39 Steps in the Randall Jones Theatre.  This is one of my favorites because it is a hilarious spoof of the 1935 spy thriller of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock.  There are only four actors performing all of the roles and the action is lightning fast with scene changes and costume changes happening on stage.  Tom Coiner plays Richard Hannay, a man at loose ends who becomes embroiled in a plot to stop a ring of spies from stealing military secrets after a mysterious woman named Annabella Schmidt is stabbed to death in his apartment.  Tracie Lane plays Annabella and several other women who become romantically involved with Hannay when he travels to Scotland to clear his name.  Michael Doherty and Bailey Savage play every other character, including actors, traveling salesman, policeman, innkeepers, farmers, spies, and more.  The staging is so clever and I especially loved the use of light and shadow in the chase sequences.  The set, which features a large corrugated metal backdrop with props scattered around the stage ready to be used, is also very clever.  I enjoyed the performances because the physical comedy is brilliant.  Doherty is one of my favorite actors at the festival because he has fantastic comedic timing and his physicality is so much fun to watch but there were several instances, especially at the political meeting and at the inn, where his shtick goes on a bit too long.  I really liked, but didn't quite love, this production.

On Friday night we saw A Winter's Tale outside in the Engelstad Theatre.  I saw this at the festival many years ago but I didn't really remember it so it was my most anticipated show this year.  I absolutely loved it!  King Leontes of Sicilia (Chauncey Thomas) becomes wrongly convinced that his wife Queen Hermione (Tracie Lane) is being unfaithful with his childhood friend King Poloxines of Bohemia (Geoffrey Kent) and that Poloxines is the father of her unborn child.  Leontes refuses to believe the oracle which exonerates Hermione and tragedy ensues until his rightful daughter Perdita (Alaysia Renay Duncan), who has been raised by an old shepherd (Chris Mixon), falls in love with Prince Florizel (Christopher Centinaro), the son of Poloxines, sixteen years later.  I loved everything about this production!  The set is beautiful (the set pieces and the sumptuous costumes place the events in the early 1900s) with an emphasis on false images, through the use of large picture frames around the action, and time healing wounds, with a large clock located above the action.  I also loved Hermione's jail cell and statue which rise dramatically from below the stage.  All of the performances are outstanding and I especially loved Thomas, because he convincingly portrays so many different emotions, the amusing interactions between Michael Doherty, as Antigonus, and Trenell Mooring, as his wife Paulina, and Kinsley Seegmiller as the young Prince Mamillius because he is adorable.  Marilyn loved this as much as I did!

Saturday afternoon we saw Much Ado About Nothing in the Randall Jones Theatre and this was my favorite of the festival.  Prince Don Pedro (Rodney Lizcano) returns home from war to stay with Leonato (Henry Woronicz), the governor of Messina, with his soldiers Benedict (Walter Kmiec) and Claudio (Jimmy Nguyen) and his bastard brother Don John (Marco Antonio Vega).  Claudio falls in love with Hero (Dariana Elise Perez), Leonato's daughter, and to pass the time before their wedding Hero's cousin Beatrice (Melinda Parrett) and Benedict are duped into believing the other is in love with them.  On the night before the wedding Claudio is deceived by a plot devised by the jealous Don John and denounces Hero as unchaste.  She is overcome and believed to be dead before she is eventually proved innocent by a chance discovery made by Dogberry (Blake Henri), the bumbling constable.  Benedict wins Beatrice's love by defending her cousin's honor and Claudio is eventually reunited with Hero after realizing his error.  Comedy is sometimes really tricky (more on this later) but this production gets the balance just right.  The physicality between Parrett (another one of my favorite actors at the festival) and Kmiec is absolutely hilarious, particularly their interactions after they learn the other loves them.  The scenes involving the constable and the watchmen, which can sometimes be overdone, are also incredibly funny.  The entire audience laughed out loud from beginning to end!  Every aspect of this production is extremely well done (I loved the set) and I would say this is the best version of this show that both Marilyn and I have seen.

Our last show on Saturday was The Taming of the Shrew in the Engelstad Theatre and I cannot even begin to express how much both of us hated this particular interpretation.  This is the first show I have ever walked out of in my life; Marilyn didn't even make it to intermission.  This production includes the rarely performed induction scene, which is a framing device wherein the drunken Christopher Sly (Topher Embrey) is shown a play by a traveling troupe to teach him a lesson about his bad behavior.  The acting troupe then completely transforms the stage with set pieces that belong in the world of Dr. Seuss while wearing outlandish costumes incorporating bold colors with black and white patterns.  They then perform the story of Katherina (Caitlin Wise) and Petruchio (John DiAntonio) in the style of commedia dell'arte which features exaggerated performances and stock characters.  Baptista (Chris Mixon), a wealthy lord of Padua, refuses to let the many suitors, including Lucentio (James Carlos Lacey), Hortensio (John Harrell), and Gremio (Rodney Lizcano), court his beautiful younger daughter Bianca (Valerie Martire) until his shrewish older daughter Katherina is married.  Lucentio convinces Petruchio, who is motivated by her large dowry, to marry the reluctant Katherina so he can marry Bianca but Katherina eventually proves the more obedient wife.  I really dislike slapstick because, in my opinion, it is the lowest form of comedy and assumes that the audience cannot appreciate the nuances in the story.  Not only does this feature slapstick but it is overdone (complete with circus music and obnoxious sound effects) to the point of tedium.  I initially enjoyed the interactions between Wise and DiAntonio because they are funny, especially when she hisses at him, but when slapstick is used in the scenes where Katherina is mistreated by Petruchio I couldn't take it any more and decided to leave (it was really empowering to leave something I wasn't enjoying).  This production is definitely the worst version of this play that I have ever seen and it is unfortunate that this was our final performance because both Marilyn and I enjoyed everything else.  We still had a great time at the festival and and it was really fun to experience all of our traditions (the many tarts we had were delicious).

Note:  There are many other opportunities at the festival such as backstage tours, costume and prop seminars, and discussions about the performances.  We have done many of these but this year Marilyn and I attended "Repertory Magic" and we got to see the changeover from the set for The 39 Steps to the set for Much Ado About Nothing at the Randall Jones Theatre.  It was absolutely fascinating!

Utah Shakespeare Festival 2023

Marilyn and I spent Friday and Saturday at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City.  We both look forward to this annual trip all year (we brought our tickets last November) and we had so much fun!

Our first show on Friday afternoon was The Play That Goes Wrong in the Randall Jones Theatre.  Marilyn had never seen it before and she was laughing out loud before it even started because the stage crew was looking in the audience for a missing dog!  The titular play that goes wrong is the Cornley Drama Society's production of The Murder at Haversham Manor by Susie H. K. Bridewell.  The cast includes Max (Jim Poulos) as Cecil Haversham/ Arthur the Gardner, Chris (Rhett Guter) as Inspector Carter, Jonathan (Jeffrey Marc Alkins) as Charles Haversham, Robert (Blake Henri) as Thomas Colleymore, Dennis (Chris Mixon) as Perkins the Butler, and Sandra (Nazlah Black) as Florence Colleymore with Annie (Melinda Parrett) as the put upon Stage Manager and Trevor (Cameron Vargas) as the Sound and Lighting Director.  The set is slowly falling apart, the props malfunction or go missing, Trevor accidentally plays Duran Duran instead of the sound cues, the aforementioned missing dog is never found, one actor cannot stay still while playing the murder victim, one actor cannot remember his lines, one actor continually breaks the fourth wall to milk the audience for applause, and the leading lady is injured halfway through the show and is replaced by Annie and then Trevor (with scripts in hand) but the show must go on!  My favorite aspect of this production is the physical comedy, especially when Cecil and Thomas have to answer the phone with their hands full, when Sandra and Annie have a long and drawn out fight to play Florence, and when Thomas and Inspector Carter are trapped in the second floor study.  The cast is superb and everyone has amazing comedic timing, particularly Henri and Poulos.  The set is fantastic because it falls apart so spectacularly!  Both Marilyn and I loved it!

On Friday night we saw Romeo and Juliet in the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre.  As I've mentioned, this is my least favorite Shakespeare play but this rendition was more faithful to the text than the version I saw recently and I always appreciate that (even though I loved that production).  This play tells the well known story of woe about the star-crossed lovers from rival houses, Juliet (Naiya Vanessa McCalla) and her Romeo (Aamar-Malik Culbreth).  I really loved McCalla's interpretation of Juliet because she is really sassy in her interactions with Romeo (especially when she interrupts him during the balcony scene) and bossy towards her Nurse (Alex Keiper) in Act I and almost defiant in her interactions with Lord Capulet (Tim Fullerton) when forced to marry Paris (Marco Antonio Vega) in Act II.  I also really enjoyed Culbreth's performance because his Romeo is incredibly impulsive and I was quite shocked by a scene between him and Tybalt (Gilberto Saenz).  Speaking of which, the fight choreography is really dynamic and exciting to watch.  I loved the period costumes and, while the set is very minimal, the colorful ribbons hanging from the rafters during the ball make a very dramatic impression.  My biggest complaint, which kept me from loving this production, is the portrayal of Mercutio (Ryan Ruckman).  He is supposed to be Romeo's friend and contemporary (Ruckman is quite a bit older than Culbreth) and he is also meant to be witty with a way with words but Ruckman portrays him as a drunken and dissolute rogue which makes his rebuke of both the Montagues and Capulets as he is dying less powerful.  Both Marilyn and I enjoyed this performance but we didn't love it.

Saturday afternoon we went back to the Randall Jones Theatre for a production of Emma: The Musical and it was lovely.  Emma Woodhouse (Allie Babich) meets her match when she tries her matchmaking skills with her protegee Harriet Smith (Laura Brennan) and Mr. Elton (Jim Poulos), Mr. Churchill (Gilberto Saenz), then Mr. Knightley (Rhett Guter).  This is one of my favorite novels by Jane Austen and, even though the songs are not particularly memorable (they mainly consist of large chunks of exposition that are sung), I really loved this adaptation.  The cast is outstanding and I especially enjoyed Babich because she has a beautiful voice and her characterization of the conniving but likable Emma is hysterical (especially during "The Recital") but Brennan steals the show as Harriet (especially when she controls Emma like a marionette in the reprise of "Humiliation" which mimics how Emma treats her and Mr. Elton in "A Gentleman's Daughter").  Guter is an appealing Mr. Knightley (Marilyn really liked him) and I loved Saenz as the preening Mr. Churchill, particularly all of his poses during "Should We Ever Meet" (I also liked him as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet the night before).  Melinda Parrett as Miss Bates and Chris Mixon as the hypochondriac Mr. Woodhouse are also standouts in the cast.  The set, featuring rose covered arches and wisteria laden columns, is absolutely gorgeous and the regency period costumes (I loved all of the empire waists) are beautiful.  Marilyn and I loved this!

Out final show on Saturday night was A Midsummer Night's Dream in the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre.  This was my most anticipated show of the festival because I taught this play for so many years and it did not disappoint!  In fact, it was my favorite show!  The course of true love does not run smooth when Oberon (Corey Jones), the King of the Fairies, has Puck (Max Gallagher) play a trick on Titania (Cassandra Bissell), the Queen of the Fairies, which inadvertently involves four lovers from Athens, Hermia (Naiya Vanessa McCall), Lysander (Aamar-Malik Culbreth), Helena (Kayland Jordan), and Demetrius (Jimmy Nguyen), and Nick Bottom (Topher Embrey) the weaver.  I loved so many things about this production!  The set for Athens is very classical with large columns and fabric covered walls but, once the characters go into the woods, the columns become trees (which are moved around and light up) and the fabric is removed to reveal intricate panels of flowers and a moon made of twigs and lights.  It is really cool, especially when the columns are moved to show that the characters are lost in the woods.  Since the woods are in juxtaposition with Athens, I loved seeing the actors who play Oberon, Titania, and Puck also portray Theseus, Hippolyta, and Philostrate (they are all really good).  I loved the entire cast but my favorites are Jordan as Helena, because her interactions with the the other lovers are so over the top, and Embrey, because his antics had me laughing throughout the entire show (but especially during the performance of Pyramus and Thisbe for the Duke).  The costumes are some of the best I've seen at the festival (especially for all of the fairies) and I loved that the four lovers gradually come undressed as they come undone!  This was such a fun play to end our time at the festival with because we loved it so much!

I enjoyed all four plays this year and I am happy to report that the tarts are as delicious as in years past (I had several).  I am already looking forward to next year!

Utah Shakespeare Festival 2022

I love going to the Utah Shakespeare Festival and I try to see at least one show every summer.  I especially enjoy it when my sister Marilyn is able to come with me and I was so happy that it worked out for her to come this year.  We were literally counting down the days because we were so excited!

We drove down Friday morning and got to Cedar City at noon.  We wandered around for a little while, attended a seminar, and then saw our first show in the Randall L. Jones Theatre.  I didn't really know what to expect from Clue but it was one of the funniest plays I have ever seen!  Even Marilyn (who is very reserved) was laughing out loud!  Six guests, including Colonel Mustard (Rex Young), Mrs. Peacock (Bree Murphy), Professor Plum (Michael Sharon), Mrs. White (Melinda Parrett), Mr. Green (Michael Doherty), and Miss Scarlet (Cherita Armstrong), are invited by Mr. Boddy (Andrew Fehrenbacher) to his manor on a dark and stormy evening.  Mr. Boddy has been blackmailing each of them and, after providing them with weapons, he tells them that he will return the evidence he has against them...if they kill his butler Mr. Wadsworth (Aaron Galligan-Stierle).  Murder and mayhem ensue!  I loved the staging!  There are two doors which open up to reveal the lounge, the study, the kitchen and the billiards room at various times with set pieces for the library and the conservatory coming from above.  There is very elaborate choreography as the characters move from room to room and it is hilarious.  The entire cast has outstanding comedic timing but Doherty's physicality, especially when a chandelier falls on him in slow motion, was my favorite part of the show.  We loved it!

Friday night we saw Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in the Engelstad Theatre.  After being unjustly convicted and sent to a penal colony in Australia by the unscrupulous Judge Turpin (Tim Fullerton), a barber named Sweeney Todd (J. Michael Bailey) returns to London hoping to be reunited with his wife Lucy and daughter Johanna (Lucy Austin) but, when he learns their fate, he vows revenge against the judge.  He is aided by Mrs. Lovett (Bree Murphy), who has a pie shop below his former barbershop, but things take a sinister turn when he begins killing all of his customers and she begins using his victims in her meat pies.  This is an amazing production with a phenomenal cast.  Bailey and Murphy, especially, have beautiful voices that are well-suited to the operatic score but they also give sympathetic performances even though their characters become more and more depraved.  I really loved their rendition of "A Little Priest."  The set and costumes vividly bring Victorian London to life and the dramatic red lighting emphasizes the horror of what is happening.  I loved the staging of the murders with Sweeney's barber chair in the balcony and a large lever sending the victims down to the bake house through a chute.  It was a little bit too macabre for my sister but I loved it!

Saturday morning we saw The Sound of Music at the Randall L. Jones Theatre.  The story of a spirited nun named Maria (Daria Pilar Redus) who is sent to be the governess to the children of Captain von Trapp (Michael Sharon) never gets old for me and I loved this production.  Redus is wonderful as Maria!  She has a beautiful voice in "The Sound of Music" and "My Favorite Things" but she is also just a little bit sassy in her interactions with the von Trapp children, Liesl (Julia Kuzmich), Friedrich (Brooks Mellen), Louisa (Shelby Fawson) Kurt (Mack Lawrence), Brigitta (Liv Harter), Marta (Penny Hodson), and Gretl (Gwynn Christ), in "Do-Re-Mi" and "The Lonely Goatherd" and she has tremendous chemistry with Sharon in "Something Good."  I was also impressed with Lisa Strum as the Mother Abbess because she almost blows the roof off of the theatre with her rendition of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain."  I really enjoyed the choreography, especially for "Do-Re-Mi," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," and "The Lonely Goatherd," because there are a lot of really fun and unexpected details. My only complaint is the set because a large curved staircase is on stage during the whole show and it is sometimes a bit confusing, particularly during "The Sound of Music" because it seems like Maria is inside the abbey rather than on the mountain and during "I Have Confidence" when Maria travels from the abbey to the von Trapp residence because there is very little difference between the two, but this didn't detract from my enjoyment.  This show is lovely and is sure to appeal to everyone as a nostalgic favorite (Marilyn and I had tears in our eyes because it reminded us so much of our Mom).

Our final play was King Lear in the Engelstad Theatre Saturday night.  It was my most anticipated show at the festival and it definitely did not disappoint!  King Lear (Anthony Heald) divides his kingdom between his daughters Goneril (Lisa Strum), Regan (Stephanie Lambourn), and Cordelia (Kendall Cafaro) with disastrous results while the Earl of Gloucester (Chris Mixon) is fooled by his illegitimate son Edmund (Philip Orazio) into denouncing his legitimate son Edgar (Freedom Martin) which leads to tragedy.  Heald is absolutely brilliant as Lear and I really loved his characterization because he is incredibly arrogant at the beginning of the play and imperious when he visits his daughters so his downfall and descent into madness is even more dramatic!  Orazio is an absolute hoot and I loved his knowing looks at the audience every time he is about to do something despicable.  I also loved Strum's performance because she is the perfect embodiment of exasperation and Aidan O'Reilly's performance as the Fool (he was brilliant in Richard III last year) because he has such a presence.  The costumes in this show are exquisite with lots of jewel tones, patterns, and embellishments and this provides a huge contrast to the tattered rags worn by Lear and Gloucester when they come undone.  The lighting and sound design is very effective at creating an oppressive atmosphere (I wrote a paper about the use of weather in this play in college) and the staging of certain scenes is incredibly dramatic, especially the blinding of Gloucester (the audience gasped).  This is the best production of King Lear I have seen and my sister, who struggles with the Shakespeare tragedies, really enjoyed it!

This was a great trip, despite the heat and my disappointment with the tarts this year, and I had so much fun!  I am already excited for the festival next year!

Summer of Outdoor Performances

In my opinion there is nothing better than sitting outside under the stars on a warm summer evening listening to music or watching a performance.  It is my favorite thing to do in the summer and I really missed having the opportunity last summer.  This year I was determined to visit all of my favorite outdoor performing arts venues and I even made a list!  I can happily report that I officially crossed off all but one venue on my list (I had planned on going to a concert at the Gallivan Plaza, the final venue on my list, last night but it was cold and raining so I decided not to).  Now that it is officially fall, I thought it would be fun to recap all of my summer adventures.

Murray Park Amphitheater

My sister Marilyn and I took our Mom to see The Little Mermaid at the Murray Park Amphitheater and all three of us really enjoyed this fun and quirky production.  My Mom had a smile on her face the entire time!  I loved all of the costumes for the sea creatures (especially the jelly fish) and Ursula was an absolute hoot because she was characterized as an over-the-top drag queen!

Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre

My first road trip of 2021 was a weekend in Cedar City for the Utah Shakespeare Festival and it was such a great experience.  I was able to see two plays in the outdoor Engelstad Theatre (I also saw a marvelous production of Ragtime in the indoor Randall L. Jones Theatre) and I thoroughly enjoyed them both but I think Richard III is the highlight of the summer!  It is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays and the lead actor was brilliant in the role!

Waterfall Amphitheatre at Thanksgiving Point

The Utah Symphony performs in various outdoor venues during the summer and the annual Concert at the Waterfall is always a good time!  The concert this year featured lots of patriotic favorites and culminated in a spectacular version of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, which is incredibly stirring, and fireworks!

Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater at Deer Valley

 

This year I was able to attend two concerts at Deer Valley!  I love being in the mountains (where it is usually much cooler than in the valley) and eating a picnic while waiting for the show to start.  My first concert was Kristin Chenoweth and it was so much fun because she is such a dynamic performer!  The highlights were "Popular" from Wicked and one of the best performances of "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables that I have ever heard.

My second concert at Deer Valley featured the Utah Symphony and guest conductor Enrico Lopez-Yanez (he is so charming and engaging) performing music from the Harry Potter movies.  I really enjoy these movies so it was a lot of fun to hear selections from the different scores performed live.  My favorite pieces were "Double Trouble" from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (with vocalists from each house) and "Courtyard Apocalypse" from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II.

Eccles Outdoor Stage at Sundance

This year the Summer Theatre production at the Sundance Mountain Resort (in conjunction with the UVU Theatre Department) was Footloose.  This is not my favorite musical but I enjoyed many aspects of the show and I definitely loved being up in the mountains because of the fresh air, the cooler temperature, and the smell of pine!

Sandy Amphitheater

I am a huge fan of Queen so I was really excited to see The Magic of Queen (a great tribute band) at the Sandy Amphitheater.  Lead singer Brady Dolyniuk sounded a lot like Freddie Mercury (but he didn't try to imitate him) so it was a lot of fun to hear all of Queen's biggest hits performed live.  Of course, my favorite was an epic rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Tuacahn Amphitheatre

I was able to go on another quick road trip to Southern Utah to see Beauty and the Beast at Tuachan.  I used to see at least one show at Tuacahn every summer but I hadn't been for a long time.  It felt good to be back seeing a show with the beautiful red rock as a backdrop.  This was an absolutely magical production of Beauty and the Beast (with lots of unexpected special effects) and it made me feel like I was seeing it for the first time!

Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre

I always love attending concerts at Red Butte Garden because it is such a beautiful venue!  This year I was really lucky because Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, one of my favorite bands, was part of the Outdoor Concert Series and somehow I was able to get a ticket (it sold out very quickly).  I thoroughly enjoyed this show because they played so many songs from their new album (which I love) as well as many of my favorites.

USANA Amphitheatre

Another highlight of the summer is seeing Alanis Morissette at USANA with my sister Kristine.  We are both huge fans of Morissette and we both love the album Jagged Little Pill, which she performed in its entirety to commemorate 25 years since its release.  It was so fun to be back at USANA for the first time in over two years for such an amazing concert!

It has been a great summer!

Utah Shakespeare Festival 2021

The Utah Shakespeare Festival is another activity that I really missed last summer.  I was especially sad when the 2020 season had to be canceled due to Covid because one of the plays was going to be Richard III, which is a favorite of mine, and I had been looking forward to it ever since it was announced in 2019.  Luckily, it is being performed this season and I was so excited to see it that I got a ticket for opening weekend!

I drove down to Cedar City in the afternoon on Friday, checked into my hotel, and then caught the Greenshow before seeing Richard III in the Engelstad Theatre.  Richard III is one of Shakespeare's darkest plays but I love it and, even though Richard is a villain who kills everyone in his path to take the throne of England, I find the character to be incredibly compelling (I almost always prefer the villains to the heroes).  This production is outstanding and Aidan O'Reilly is absolutely brilliant as Richard.  He gives an incredibly riveting physical performance and I couldn't take my eyes off him (he is diminutive in stature but he somehow fills the stage).  There were many moments when the staging of a scene took my breath away including Richard wooing Anne (Sarah Suzuki) over the coffin of her father-in law, the murder of the young princes (Jessica Sannar and Finley Caciola) in the Tower, the condemnation of Richard by his mother (Sarah Shippobotham) and the former queens (Desiree Mee Jung and Melinda Pfundstein), the ghosts of Richard's victims tormenting him and then encouraging Richmond (Cordell Cole) on the eve of battle, and Richard's dramatic death.  If you are planning a visit to the festival this summer, this show is not to be missed!

Saturday afternoon I saw Ragtime (which is one of my favorite musicals) in the Randall L. Jones Theatre.  The stories of a wealthy white family living in New Rochelle, a Black piano player in Harlem, and an Eastern European immigrant looking for a better life for his daughter in America converge with ragtime music as a metaphor for the dramatic changes happening in society at the turn of the century.  The narrative is incredibly poignant and the music is amazing!  My favorite song has always been "Sarah Brown Eyes" and Ezekial Andrew, as Coalhouse Walker Jr., and Daria Pilar Redus, as Sarah, sing it beautifully!  In this production I also really loved "Back to Before" by Melinda Pfundstein, as Mother, and "Make Them Hear You" by Andrew because their performances are so powerful.  This show is technically very complicated with a large ensemble and lots of different settings so the use of simple metal staircases, which are configured and reconfigured very quickly, is highly effective.  I loved this show and would highly recommend it!

My final show at the festival was a production of The Comedy of Errors in the Engelstad Theatre Saturday night and it was as funny as Richard III was intense the night before!  This play is about two sets of identical twins separated at birth who, unbeknownst to them, are all in the same place at the same time and are constantly mistaken for each other with hilarious consequences (an exorcism is required at one point).  The four actors playing the twins (Mauricio Miranda, Michael Doherty, Marco Antonio Vega, and Andrew Plinio) have brilliant comedic timing and all of the physical comedy had the audience (myself included) rolling with laughter!  I am usually not a big fan of changing the source material but this production is set during the 1970s on a Greek island (it features some pretty wild costumes and disco music) and it really worked for me.  Ironically, the last time this play was performed it was set in the Wild West and I loved it, too!  Bring the kids to this show because the ones around me were laughing the most!

I had a wonderful time at the festival this year and not just because I loved all three shows but also because I appreciated the experience so much more having missed out last year.  I highly recommend taking a trip to Cedar City for what might be the most memorable season in the festival's sixty year history (go here for more information).

Utah Shakespeare Festival 2019

Friday my sister Marilyn and I took a road trip to Cedar City for the Utah Shakespeare Festival.  Marilyn hasn't been able to come with me for the past several years so I'm glad that we were able to make it work this year.

Marilyn hadn't seen the new Englestad Theatre so, as soon as we got there, we walked around the new Beverly Center for the Performing Arts and she was quite impressed.  This is her posing in front of the theatre.  Can you see her?

Me posing with the Bard.  I'm being a little bit forward with my hand on his knee!

Our first play that afternoon was Hamlet in the Randall L. Jones Theatre.  I have been teaching this play for many years so I know it inside and out and, without question, this is the best production of it that I have ever seen!  Brian Vaughn made some very bold choices based on subtext and I loved it, especially with the characterization of Ophelia (Emma Geer) and Gertrude (Jacqueline Antaramian).  Several scenes made me gasp out loud!  Quinn Mattfeld is outstanding in the lead role!  He is absolutely magnetic and you can't take your eyes off him.  He is able to convey so many emotions with just an expression (we were on the second row) and I especially enjoyed his interactions with Polonius (Armin Shimerman) which are surprisingly humorous.  The opulent set is incredible and I loved the use of snow, particularly in an emotional scene between Hamlet and the ghost of his father (John G. Preston), and the river where Ophelia drowns (one of the scenes that made me gasp).  Vaughn set the play in the Edwardian era rather than the Medieval time specified in the text and that usually makes me crazy but it really worked for me in this instance.  The costumes reminded me of Imperial Russia, particularly the military uniforms.  I cannot recommend this production enough!  

In the evening we saw the Greenshow which had a Scottish theme and then Macbeth in the Englestad Theatre.  Macbeth is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays because it is very intense (especially seeing it right after Hamlet).  What I loved most about this production is the portrayal of the witches (Sarah Hollis, Emma Geer, and Betsy Mugavero).  They had pagan markings all over their bodies and there were some supernatural effects during their scenes which made them riveting any time they were on stage!  I also really liked the interactions between Macbeth (Wayne T. Carr) and Lady Macbeth (Katie Cunningham), especially when she is encouraging him to kill the king.  Some of her speeches seemed like incantations and this was very effective at setting a sinister mood.  The set is very atmospheric with asymmetrical beams and ripped curtains.  I particularly liked a circular stone dais in the center of the stage which, at one point, becomes a cauldron for the witches.  The lighting and special effects are also very atmospheric, especially a scene involving lightning (everyone around me jumped).  This is another production that I would highly recommend.

On Saturday we began with a backstage tour which I loved because we got to see the deconstructed set for Hamlet and I found it fascinating!  I also really enjoyed seeing all of the weapons used in Macbeth.  Our afternoon show was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in the Randall L. Jones Theatre.  I suffer from what I call Joseph fatigue because I have seen this show so many times (it is very popular with Utah audiences) but this production restored my love for it.  What I loved most about it is that, while there are a lot of fun elements, there is not a lot of kitsch which can sometimes be very overdone.  The performances are all amazing, particularly Samae Allred as the Narrator, Michael A. Harding as Joseph, and Russ Benton (who steals the show) at the Pharaoh.  The brothers are all fantastic but my favorite was Reuben (Alex Allred) because his rendition of "Those Canaan Days" is hilarious without being over the top.  The set features a backdrop with the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors in stained glass and it is quite spectacular.  The choreography is a lot of fun, particularly in "One More Angel in Heaven" and "Benjamin Calypso."  This show was a welcome bit of fun after the shows on Friday and I especially recommend it for kids.

Our final show of the festival was Twelfth Night in the Engelstad Theatre.  This was a really fun show to end on because I laughed and laughed through the whole thing!  This production features a lot of physical comedy and it is extremely well done!  Some of my favorite moments include Duke Orsino (Rene Thornton, Jr.) dropping to the ground while languishing over his unrequited love for Olivia (Betsy Mugavero), Sir Toby Belch (Todd Denning) finding flasks hidden all over the set in unexpected places, Malvolio (Chris Mixon) practicing his smile, Viola (Sarah Hollis) and Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Josh Jeffers) fighting a duel, and Malvolio revealing his yellow stockings and cross garters!  I also loved all of the interactions between Sir Andrew, Sir Toby, Maria (Katie Cunningham) and Feste the Fool (Trent Dahlin) because the actors have such great comedic timing!  Another aspect of this production that I enjoyed was the use of pop songs played on traditional instruments by a trio of musicians (Samae Allred, Ben Cano, and Isabella Giordano) during transitions.  This show is incredibly entertaining and I highly recommend it!

Both Marilyn and I had such a great time at the festival this year (I may be back soon to see Hamlet again).  Go here for more information about the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

Utah Shakespeare Festival 2018

This week I drove to Cedar City for my annual trip to the Utah Shakespeare Festival.  I was able to see three plays this year and I enjoyed all of them.  Tuesday night I saw The Merchant of Venice, one of my very favorite Shakespeare plays, and I thought this production was very powerful.  There were some very interesting casting choices, including having two women play traditionally male roles.  Bassanio (Wayne T. Carr) asks his friend Antonio (Leslie Brott) for 3,000 ducats to woo Portia (Tarah Flanagan).  Antonio doesn't have the money but, knowing that he has three ships on their way to port, he borrows the money from Shylock (Lisa Wolpe), a Jewish moneylender.  Bassanio is successful in his quest for Portia's hand in marriage, in some highly amusing scenes involving other suitors, but Antonio's ships are lost and he must pay the bond to Shylock which is a pound of flesh.  Portia, feeling responsible for the situation, pleads for mercy but when Shylock refuses she finds a loophole which saves Antonio and condemns Shylock.  My sympathy is always with Shylock and this production really emphasizes the cruelty towards him, at one point one character even knocks him down.  His daughter Jessica (Aidaa Peerzada) is portrayed as feeling guilty about converting to Christianity and I loved the scenes where she recites Jewish prayers.  Wolpe is absolutely brilliant in the role, especially in the "Do we not bleed?" speech!  I also really enjoyed Josh Innerst as Gratiano, Jamil Zraikat as the Prince of Morocco, and Geoffrey Kent as the Prince of Arragon because they infused a bit of levity into an otherwise somber piece.

Wednesday afternoon I saw the hilarious comedy The Foreigner.  I have seen this play several times and I very much enjoyed this production.   Sgt. Froggy LaSeuer (Chris Mixon) brings his painfully shy friend Charlie Baker (Michael Doherty) to stay at a boarding house in Georgia run by Betty Meeks (Colleen Baum) while he is on maneuvers there.  Froggy tells the inhabitants that Charlie is a foreigner who cannot speak English to save him from having to make conversation.  Because everyone believes that he can't understand them, he overhears all of their secrets to great comedic effect.  Doherty is absolutely hysterical in this very physical role!  I laughed and laughed when Ellard (Rob Riordan) tries to teach him English and again when he is asked to tell a story in his native language.  Seriously, I couldn't breathe!

Wednesday evening I saw The Merry Wives of Windsor.  Sir John Falstaff (John Ahlin reprising the role after playing it in Hanry IV Part Two) is down and out and has come to Windsor to woo two wealthy women, Mistress Page (Stephanie Lambourn) and Mistress Ford (Tarah Flanagan).  He sends them both the same letter so they conspire to get revenge on him, and fool their husbands, in some absolutely hilarious scenes.  Meanwhile, Mistress Ford's daughter, Mistress Anne (Cailen Fu), has three suitors pursing her (Lance Rasmussen, Michael Elich, and Ty Fanning).  Both Mistress Ford and Mistress Page as well as the three suitors use Mistress Quickley (Leslie Brott) to deliver notes and chaos ensues.  I usually do not like it when the source material is changed but this production takes place in the early 1900s and uses popular songs from that era to emphasize plot details and I thought that was very effective.  I also really liked how they introduce the dramatis personae at the beginning of the play.  It is extremely clever!  Mistress Quickly is portrayed as more of the town busybody and she is hilarious.  Elich is completely over the top as one of the suitors, especially when he is preparing for the duel.  Ahlin is an absolute master of physical comedy and I laughed out loud when he is placed in a laundry basket, when he has to dress as a woman, and when he dresses as stag to meet Mistress Ford.  It is a really fun production.  I had so much fun at the festival this year!  I enjoyed all three plays and I was able to have lots of my favorite tarts!

Note:  I am beyond excited for next year because two of my favorites will be performed, Hamlet and Macbeth.  I can't wait!

Utah Shakespeare Festival 2017

On Thursday I spontaneously decided to take a road trip to Cedar City (about four hours south of SLC) to see a few Utah Shakespeare Festival productions and I had a great time!  I saw a matinee performance of Guys and Dolls, a musical I have seen countless times, and, for the most part, I really enjoyed it.  The story, which is a bit dated but a lot of fun, revolves around the romantic struggles between Nathan Detroit (Quinn Mattfeld), who runs the oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York, and Miss Adelaide (Melinda Parrett), his fiancee of fourteen years, as well as Sky Masterson (Brian Vaughn), a gambler, and Sarah Brown (Alexander Zorn), a sergeant with the Save-a-Soul Mission trying to reform him.  All four of the lead actors give wonderful performances and I especially enjoyed Zorn's over-the-top antics in "Havana" and Parrett's hilarious rendition of "Adelaide's Lament." I also laughed out loud at the comedic turns by Leslie Brott as General Cartright and James Newcomb as Big Jule.  The big song and dance numbers "Luck Be a Lady," and "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" featured fantastic choreography.  My only complaint with this show was the set, which didn't seem to me to be up to Utah Shakespeare Festival standards.  The set for the Save-a-Soul Mission, specifically, was rotated multiple times so that the seemingly unfinished back faced the audience.  I don't know if this was done intentionally for artistic reasons but it looked rather shabby.  It reminded me of something you would see in an amateur production (Hunter High has better sets and they are performing Guys and Dolls in the fall).  In the evening I saw Romeo and Juliet in the wonderful Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre and I absolutely loved it!  Everyone is familiar with the story of star-crossed lovers and their feuding families but this production was very fresh.  While Shakespeare's language is retained, I felt that the actors delivered their lines with a very modern sensibility making the play more accessible to everyone, including the young people sitting near me who were enthralled.  I was particularly struck by the juxtaposition between the almost light-hearted first half with the weighty and tragic second half.  The contrast worked very well.  Shane Kenyon and Betsy Mugavero are perfect as Romeo and Juliet with very passionate performances but, in my opinion, Jeb Burris steals the show as Mercutio.  He is incredibly appealing in his early scenes and his death scene was most affecting.  I also really enjoyed Leslie Brott's performance as the nurse, which made me laugh out loud at times and cry at others.  It is an intense production which will surprise audience members who think they know the story.  I was able to have a few of the signature tarts in between shows so my day was a success.  Go here for more information about the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

Shakespeare Festival 2016

I had only been home from my road trip with Sean less than 24 hours when I was back on the road to spend a couple of days at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.  I was really looking forward to seeing the new Engelstad Theatre and it is quite impressive.  The stage itself is very reminiscent of the Adams Theatre but the facility is state-of-the-art with restrooms, concessions, and a covered foyer.  I think it is amazing.  My very first play in the new theatre was Tuesday night and I couldn't have picked a better one!  I have been waiting for three years to see Henry V having seen Henry IV Part One in 2014 and Henry IV Part Two in 2015 all with the same actor, Sam Ashdown, in the lead role.  I was so excited to see the play where Henry earns his crown and it was amazing! After succeeding to the throne of England, Henry (Ashdown) learns that, under Salic law, he is the rightful heir to the throne of France and, knowing that a foreign conquest will solidify his popularity with the people, he begins war with France.  Weakened by sickness and outnumbered five to one, Henry rallies his troops for battle with the famous St. Crispin's Day speech (which gave me goosebumps) and, despite overwhelming odds, achieves a decisive victory.  He wins the throne of France and the hand of Katherine and thus begins the reign of one of England's greatest kings.  There were moments in this play that took my breath away, particularly the aforementioned St. Crispin's Day speech and when Henry hangs one of his friends from his wild days, and the performances were incredible, especially Ashdown (who has done an amazing job with the role of Prince Hal and King Henry) and Eddie Lopez as the Dauphin of France (so cocky).  I loved the giant wax seal with Henry's monogram in the middle of the stage as a representation of Henry's reign and I loved the large banners representing the English and French flags.  So dramatic!  The battle of Agincourt was staged very well and I especially loved the archers in the balcony.  This production was excellent and I highly recommend it!  Wednesday afternoon I saw Mary Poppins and it was a lot of fun!  It tells the well-known story of how a practically perfect nanny saves the Banks family.  The two leads, Elizabeth Broadhurst as Mary Poppins and Eddie Lopez as Bert, were outstanding.  The big productions numbers, "Jolly Holiday," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," "Let's Go Fly a Kite," and "Step in Time," had very innovative choreography and colorful costumes and I especially liked the kites flying through the audience.  There were lots of children in the audience who were mesmerized by Mary Poppins flying through the audience (although the little girl next to me said that she was glad that it was over at intermission) so it is definitely one I would recommend for kids.  My last play on Wednesday evening was The Three Musketeers and I loved it!  D'Artagnan (Luigi Sottile) wishes to become one of King Louis' famous musketeers and joins Athos (J. Todd Adams), Porthos (Todd Denning) and Aramis (Tasso Feldman) on an adventure to save the Queen's honor from the unscrupulous Cardinal Richelieu (Peter Lohnes).  All for one and one for all!  This show was a lot of fun because of all of the sword fighting (even in the aisles) and I loved Ben Livingston's performance as the silly King Louis XIII.  This is another show that kids will enjoy.  Even though I was only at the festival for two days, I certainly enjoyed myself (and had my fair share of tarts).  Go here for more information.

Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet

View of downtown SLC from the windows of Abravanel Hall

Last night I returned to Abravanel Hall (after what seems like a very long absence) for a Utah Symphony concert featuring excerpts from Prokofiev's ballet Romeo and Juliet and performances from actors with the Utah Shakespeare Festival.  Several years ago I attended a similar performance featuring Mendelssohn's incidental music from A Midsummer Night's Dream and excerpts from the play performed by noted Utah Shakespeare Festival actors.  It remains one of my favorite Utah Symphony concerts and I knew this production would be every bit as good so I have been looking forward to it for weeks.  I think Prokofiev's score is incredibly dramatic.  I particularly enjoyed "Montagues and Capulets" because it is so stirring yet it features an evocative theme played by the flute in the middle.  I also really liked "The Death of Tybalt" because it is another stirring piece with a bold theme played by the brass.  In between the musical numbers, corresponding scenes were performed from Shakespeare's classic tale of star-crossed lovers by Betsy Mugavero as Juliet, Claire Warden as Lady Capulet, Sarah Shippobotham as the Nurse, Luigi Sottile as Romeo, and Peter Lohnes as Friar Lawrence.  These scenes were directed by David Ivers, who is one of my favorite performers and directors from the Utah Shakespeare Festival.  I liked the selections, especially the famous balcony scene because Sottile's characterization of Romeo was quite playful which I thought was very interesting.  The combination of Prokofiev's music and Shakespeare's text, not to mention the outstanding performances, certainly produced an enjoyable evening of entertainment (which was definitely needed after a long week).  I hope that the Utah Symphony and the Utah Shakespeare Festival continue their collaboration for many years to come.  This concert will be performed again tonight and if you are anticipating this year's festival as much as I am, this might tide you over!  Tickets can be purchased here.

Note:  My favorite moment of the evening came courtesy of a large group of high school theatre students sitting near me.  I saw them arrive on their bus and they seemed so excited to be there.  After the concert one of them said, "That was sooooooo good!"  It makes me happy when I see young people enjoy the performing arts because it has brought so much enrichment to my life!

Another Day at the Festival

I started last week at the Utah Shakespeare Festival and then I joined my family on a camping trip in Fillmore for the rest of the week.  When Marilyn mentioned that she really wanted to see one more play in the Adams Theatre, we spontaneously decided to drive to Cedar City (about an hour and a half away from Fillmore) to see King Lear on Saturday night.  I ended the week the same way I began it!

Ironically, King Lear is the first play Marilyn saw in the Adams Theatre.  Whenever I would bring Marilyn with me to the festival, we would usually see the contemporary plays in the Randall Jones Theatre but this particular year I really wanted to see King Lear and I convinced Marilyn to go.  It is really dramatic, intense, and full of symbolism so I was afraid that she wouldn't like it or get it. During intermission she told me how much she loved it and we've seen the Shakespeare plays ever since.

It was a beautiful night to see a play outdoors and this production of King Lear is amazing!  Lear (played brilliantly by Tony Amendola) is growing old and decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters Goneril (Melinda Pfundstein), Regan (Saren Nofs-Snyder), and Cordelia (Kelly Rogers) according to how much they profess to love him.  Cordelia refuses to publicly declare her love so Lear divides his kingdom between his greedy older daughters and their ambitious husbands to the detriment of everyone.  The actresses playing Lear's daughters are outstanding and I especially enjoyed David Pichette as Lear's fool.  Marilyn mentioned several times that the oldest daughter is the most ruthless while the youngest is the one who really loves Lear.  What?  I certainly enjoyed this play (and a few more tarts) and I'm glad Marilyn suggested we come.

Note:  Unbelievably, I ran into yet another friend while waiting for the Greenshow.  This time it was my friend Jim (the one who recommends great books).

Utah Shakespeare Festival 2015

This season is the final one in which the Adams Memorial Theatre will be used for the Utah Shakespeare Festival.  It has been in operation since 1977 and the first play I saw there, Shakespeare's The Tempest, was in 1989 while on a college trip.  I have returned almost every year since and have many wonderful memories of the amazing performances I've seen, including Patrick Page in Richard III and Brian Vaughn in Hamlet.  Sam Ashdown's portrayal of Prince Hal in last year's Henry IV Part One is also among one of my favorites so it is especially fitting that my final performance "within this Wooden O" was to see him reprise his role in Henry IV Part Two.

I also bought a ticket to see Amadeus and made the drive to Cedar City Monday morning in time to see the matinee performance.  The movie adaptation of the stage play is one of my favorites and I actually credit it with turning me into a fan of classical music (it was the first movie I ever owned) so I was looking forward to seeing it.  The movie is quite different from the stage play (Peter Shaffer wrote the play before the screenplay) but I eventually stopped comparing the two because this version is so powerful and I was completely drawn into the story of rival composers Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  David Ivers, one of my favorite actors/directors of the festival, gives an incredibly intense and passionate performance as Salieri.  He transforms from the stooped and wheelchair-bound older Salieri into the composer in his prime right before our eyes by merely substituting his coat, wig, and facial expression.  I have never seen anything like it before and it is repeated several times.  His agony is palpable when Salieri rails against God for giving such an unworthy man the talent he covets.  Tasso Feldman does a wonderful job as Mozart (he even has a great laugh) but Ivers dominates every scene, even when he is just eavesdropping on Mozart from behind a tall chair.  The supporting cast is excellent and I particularly enjoyed John Pribyl as Emperor Joseph II and Brandon Burk and Anthony Simone as the Vinticelli (Little winds).  The costumes are magnificent and I was struck by the opulence of Mozart's frock coats at the beginning of the play in contrast to the muted colors he wears as he sinks further and further into penury.  I loved the addition of Mozart's music, especially the operas, into many of the scenes.  This production of Amadeus rocked me (I couldn't resist) and I highly recommend it.

It rained all day so I was really disappointed that Henry IV Part Two might be moved from the Adams to the indoor stage.  I desperately wanted to see it outside to have one final memory in that magical theatre.  Luckily, the rain stopped just in time for the Greenshow (pictured above) and I enjoyed it very much while eating a tart (I ran into my friend Joe and he bought me another one).

Henry IV Part Two is not as exciting as the first one (It is rarely performed) because it is dealing with the aftermath of what has happened but I found it to be just as engrossing because of the resolution of these events, particularly the transformation of a wayward prince into a noble king and the reconciliation between father and son.  There are some hilarious moments with Falstaff (John Ahlin), the prince's unsuitable friend.  Ahlin is a master of physical comedy and I, along with everyone in the theatre, laughed out loud when he tries to get up off the floor and when he recruits men to go to battle with him.  However, I waited the entire play for the final scene between Prince Hal and King Henry IV (Both Sam Ashdown and Larry Bull are reprising the roles from Henry IV Part One) and it is powerful.  The King is on his deathbed and Hal, thinking that he is dead, picks up the crown.  The King accuses Hal of wishing for his death and berates him for all of his previous wanton behavior.  Hal responds with genuine grief and concern for ruling the country and the King finally shows him some tenderness and gives him advice.  Ashdown and Bull are incredible in this scene and I had goosebumps!  Another scene that is quite moving is when Henry V is crowned and paraded through London with much pomp and circumstance.  When he sees Falstaff, he turns his back on his old friend and banishes him.  Ahlin's performance in that moment brought me to tears!  I am now eagerly awaiting Ashdown's performance in Henry V next summer (It was a brilliant idea to cast the same actor in the role for all three plays, in my opinion) in the new Engelstad Theatre!

Note:  I keep inadvertently running into friends.  First it was Scott at a movie, then I saw my friend Marta in the lobby before Amadeus, and finally, as I mentioned, I found my friend Joe at the Greenshow before Henry IV Part Two.  The theatre wasn't full so after the intermission we moved to seats closer to the stage so we could sit together.  It was great!  Maybe I should actually plan something with my friends...